Undercover American agents are staging secret 'sting' operations in Britain against criminal and terrorist suspects they want to extradite to the US. In a recent operation, agents from America's Department of Homeland Security set up a suspect by posing as dealers wanting to illegally sell night-vision goggles for export to Iran. The spies arranged a series of clandestine meetings in London hotels, which they secretly filmed as evidence. It is thought to be the first time American agents have been caught using such sting tactics in Britain. Urgent questions were being asked about whether the British Government had been aware of the operation. If so, it raises issues of the State collaborating with foreign agencies to entrap suspects - and if not it raises the spectre of American spies working unchecked on British soil. ... http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Marleny Carranza's cell phone plays salsa music when a call comes in, and these days it rings often. She and her sister Sandra Carranza are doing a brisk business selling homes to Hispanic immigrants, and they don't turn away people who may be in the country illegally. The Carranza sisters work with Su Casa Realty, a Century 21 franchise with an office in Hickory Hill. They are among many real estate professionals and bankers nationwide willing to sell houses to illegal immigrants. Giving home loans to illegal immigrants is a relatively safe bet because they usually earn steady incomes and because the federal government isn't trying hard to make them leave, some businesses executives say. In fact, one group that criticizes the practice says the federal government makes it easy for illegal immigrants to establish a permanent home here. In fact, one group that criticizes the practice says the federal government makes it easy for illegal immigrants to establish a permanent home here. ...http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local/article/0,2845,MCA_25340_5137932,00.html

Arab foreign ministers are holding an emergency meeting in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to discuss the recent Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. They will try to agree on the next step after the US vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Saturday which condemned Israel's military operations. The resolution, which the US said was unbalanced, followed an Israeli attack on Wednesday which killed 19 civilians. The Arab League warned the veto would 'increase anger' towards Israel. Correspondents say Sunday's meeting of Arab ministers is likely to discuss whether to seek the support of the United Nations General Assembly, where the US does not have the power of veto. This was the second time this year the US used its veto on a draft resolution on Israeli military operations in Gaza. Ten of the Security Council's 15 members voted in favour of the resolution, while the other four abstained. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6140758.stm

A display in a central Georgia community divides the names of 800 local veterans into two lists, marked in large type: “Whites” and “Colored.”The display has been in the lobby of the Taylor County courthouse since 1944, honoring service members who fought in World War II. The two lists are mounted side by side behind glass in two large frames.John Cole Vodicka, an activist from Americus, is organizing a rally Monday at the courthouse to persuade the county commission to take down the display. “They can’t obviously be proud of the fact that the plaques continue to stay on the wall,” he said.In January, the Taylor County Commission unanimously decided to create an “integrated” list, with all the names together, along with additional names that weren’t in the display designed before the war ended....http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15673866/

Tony Blair and beleaguered President George Bush have had a long discussion on how to push forward 'change' in the coalition's policy in Iraq.In Friday's phone conversation, Blair, who will give evidence to the Bush-appointed Iraq Study Group on Tuesday, insisted on the need to regionalise the peace effort and draw Iran and Syria - which have been accused of supporting insurgents - into any solution.The Prime Minister sent his senior foreign policy adviser, Nigel Sheinwald, to Damascus last month to hold talks with President Bashar Assad of Syria. Britain has said Syria must choose between playing a constructive role in the world community or continuing to support terrorism.Blair will address the study group - chaired by the Republican former Secretary of State, James Baker - the day after Bush does. The British moves have come as America plunges into a rapid overhaul of its strategy in Iraq, with Bush yesterday praising his new defence chief as an 'agent of change'....http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,1945874,00.html

Forecasters said Saturday that more rain and possibly strong winds were on the way to the Pacific Northwest, still cleaning up after heavy rain and flooding during the week.The storm system, expected to move in Sunday night, was not expected to be as dramatic as the past week's storms, which left three people dead.Forecasters said there was little chance of more flooding; most of the precipitation was expected to fall as snow in the Cascade Mountains. Saturday's snow advisory was for 5 to 10 inches by Sunday morning.However, up to 1.5 inches of rain was expected for the Puget Sound area in western Washington, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle.Strong winds and possibly heavy rains were forecast for Oregon. National Weather Service forecasters in Portland were concerned that heavy winds will topple trees standing in saturated soil....http://www.cnn.com/2006/WEATHER/11/11/northwest.flooding.ap/index.html?eref=rss_us